World Water Day is a good day for reflection. Just a few days ago, on March 19, 2019, representatives of the seven states of the Colorado River Basin gathered in Phoenix, Arizona to sign a letter asking Congress to approve implementation of the drought contingency plans detailed in the documents attached to the letter.
January 07, 2015
Challenged but Unbroken: Sustaining the Colorado River
The Colorado River Basin blankets a 246,000 square mile area that includes parts of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, as well as portions of the states of Baja and Sonora Mexico.
Water delivered from the Colorado River serves nearly 40 million municipal and industrial customers, 22 Native American tribes and more than 6 million acres of irrigated agriculture. In addition 7 wildlife refuges, four national recreation areas and 11 national parks depend on the river for vital water supplies.
The Colorado River system is stretched to its limit: over allocation, drought, climate change and ever increasing demands mean that actions must be taken now to prevent harmful future shortages. Water managers have been and will continue to work with the US Department of the Interior, the Basin tribes, environmental groups and our neighbors in Mexico to create and implement new solutions for the range of serious challenges facing the Basin.
This beautifully crafted, 9-minute video, written and produced by Central Arizona Project and Studio 522 Productions, Inc, compels all Colorado River water users to take action to ensure the sustainability of this vital resource. Conservation, cooperation and wise water planning are crucial as is continued significant investment in the Basin’s wide range of assets.
Watch this informative video to find out more about the basin.
Recent News
January 24, 2019
2018 Photo Contest Winners!
We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2018 Water Resources Research Center Photo Contest. This year we again gave photographers two criteria - that photos be water related and that they be taken in Arizona. And we received many wonderful submissions. People, nature, Arizona and other topics were showcased by the many photographers who submitted their images.
December 17, 2018
2019 WRRC Conference Features Arizona Legislators Panel
This February, the WRRC annual conference, "Arizona Runs on Water: Scarcity, Challenges, and Community-based Solutions", will be held in our state's capital and will feature case-studies about water from across Arizona.
November 01, 2018
APW-Getting WET With ADEQ
"Super excited" was the expression used by ADEQ's water quality monitoring guru, Meghan Smart, to describe the new partnership with Arizona Project WET (APW) to begin monitoring select rivers during school field investigations. Smart, who recently delivered a brown bag presentation for the WRRC, was pleasantly surprised by APW's quick response and interest in the Arizona Water Watch (AWW) citizen science program.
October 19, 2018
WRRC 2019 Annual Conference Participation Opportunity
On February 1, 2019, the UA Water Resources Research Center will hold its Annual Conference, Arizona Runs on Water: Scarcity, Challenges, and Community-based Solutions, at the Black Canyon Conference Center, located at 9440 N. 25th Ave., in Phoenix, Arizona. The conference will explore how Arizona’s various regions, cities, towns, tribes, and rural areas are working to meet their water and the solutions they are identifying, assessing, and/or implementing.
September 18, 2018
Student Research Proposals Sought
The WRRC is calling for research proposals from students for its 104b grants program. The program, authorized under the Water Resources Research Act, Section 104(b) and funded through the U.S. Geological Survey, promotes the entry of new research scientists, engineers and technicians in the water resources field and education of students through significant involvement in water research.